Palette
by LightwoodLady25
Summary: In which timeless rainbow colors shed light on the stories of our beloved Shadowhunter families. "From the fountain comes mirth" - Babies are the light and hope of every family, Shadowhunter babies perhaps more so.
1. The classics

**A/N: Aaand here's something new. I gave myself color prompts because why not?**

**All of TID series. Spoilers for...everything? All the genres!**

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns TID.**

**Red**

Cecily will have to wait a few years until she can wear the perfect dress stashed away in the back of the wardrobe, but it shall be worth it when she lets Gabriel see how it fits her in all the right places. She is very certain the gown will match the shade of his face; she's counting on it, really.

**Orange**

When Charles' hair begins to grow in thick waves, Henry nonchalantly remarks at dinner to his wife that their son's hair is the same bright hue of the buttered carrots. Their toddler's grimace at hearing that is precious, and Charlotte bursts into peals of delighted laughter.

**Yellow**

_Dear Gideon,_

_Thank you for the beautiful roses. Happy anniversary to you as well. Here's to many more._

_Love,_  
_Sophie_

**Green**

"Do you think she'll like them, Gina, Bara?"  
"Mama will love them! After all, they match our eye color, and Mama always tells us how much she loves our eyes."

**Blue**

When Lucie wins every argument she finds herself in, Tessa sees Cecily. When Lucie goes on a demon hunt for the first time, Will sees Ella.

**Indigo**

Against the backdrop of twilight during one of their many strolls, Tessa marvels at how Jem seems to glow - not his hair or his eyes, but _him_. She determines that she's marrying an angel, and she couldn't feel more blessed.

**Violet**

Wearing a purple shirt with a matching waist cost to the Christmas party wasn't Christopher's first choice, but after losing a bet that he would win a fistfight against his girl cousins, he begrudgingly put it on, despite the surprised glances and his severely wounded pride. The best joke the girls came up with that night was that his outfit perfectly matched both his black eyes.

**A/N: Should I do another batch of these? Which color was your favorite one? **

**Leave a review if you'd like/have the time.**


	2. At the Table

**A/N: Palette as in food palette. I shouldn't write when I'm hungry. Seriously.**

**Spoilers for the epilogue of CP2. Fluffy.** **Lots of Jessa.**

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns TID.**

**_Red herring_**

When ten year old Thomas ate the entire red herring pie and nothing else at dinner, Sophie was bewildered yet pleased. Her son was a picky eater, especially when it came to fish. The disgusted looks of her two girls at their brother's feat didn't faze her at all. Barbara and Eugenia, picky eaters themselves, could learn something from Thomas.

**_Orange_**

In a particularly good mood when she awoke on a lazy Sunday morning, Tessa had cooked Jem's favorite breakfast foods. Jem eyed the breakfast tray on his lap in awe. Spiced banana pancakes, two slices of French toast, a fruit platter of intricately sliced grapefruit and cantaloupe, a ham and cheese omelet garnished with cilantro, and...a glass of orange juice. With the pulp. She even included a spoon so he could eat the pulp first, the best part of having orange juice with pulp. Tessa's attention to detail was second to none.

**_Starfruit_**

"Did you know that in ancient times lovers offered this to a moon goddess in hopes of having a lasting relationship?"

"I believe you mean a 'fruitful' relationship. And no, I didn't know that, James."

"I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Your pun powers are no match compared to mine!"

"Not to mention, alliteration as well..."

**_Apple_**

Tessa never failed to giggle every time Jem forked warm pie into her mouth while whispering in her ear, "You are the apple of my eye, Tess."

**_Blueberry_**

When Tessa came home from the grocery store, grumbling at the doorway on how expensive a carton of blueberries were, Jem got up from the couch and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Think of them like little sapphires. They're expensive because they're precious."

"Then why do you eat three cartons in one sitting, James, hmmm?" Tessa mused, a knowing grin on her face.

Jem blushed, and Tessa laughed as he buried his face in her hair in embarrassment.

**_Cherry_**

It was obvious to Tessa what Jem's secret midnight snack was when she noticed the juice stains on his pajama collar. Just to be sure, she kissed him deeply and tasted the sweet tartness of the pitted fruit and his mouth. It was a delicious combination, one she never knew she liked.

**_Chestnut_**

Cecily grimaced when she saw the torn apart nut shells scattered across the dining room table. If her babies developed stomach aches, she would nurse them back to health, the poor darlings. If Gabriel so much as looked like his stomach was bothering him, she'd force feed him more of his roasted creations in the most seductive way she could. His near obsession with the Christmas treat would be his undoing.

**_Onion_**

"Gwilym Owain Herondale, I swear if you don't stop flinging peas under the table at your sisters, your only dinner for the next week will be the raw onions the cook just bought."

**A/N: These are fun to write! Which food color was your favorite? Leave a review if you want!**


	3. Fear in many forms

**A/N: ArellaWhite, I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind for "weird" or "quirky", but I hope you like this batch anyway. **

**Mostly post-CP2 spoilers. Drama and family. **

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns TID. **

_**Blush**_

When her eldest daughter entered the room with a rosy face and sparkling eyes, Sophie tensed. Barbara, who had inherited her mother's looks, had no doubt been talking to someone special. Someone who could easily break her heart. Sophie couldn't bear to see that happen to her child.

_**Flames**_

Lucie screamed and screamed for nights after accidentally hearing how Marbas was summoned by Magnus Bane then killed. Will held her close until she fell asleep in his arms, watching in agony and blaming himself for her tears.

_**Pus**_

Kneeling against the stone walls of the Institute, Gabriel gagged in the hallway, as Anna was being treated for an infected gash across her arm in the infirmary. The wound was oozing, and Gabriel had made his exit as quietly as possible when he saw what color it was. As much as he wanted to be by his daughter's side, the memories of a forty foot, slimy serpent destroying a garden made his stomach and mind recoil in disgust and panic.

_**Envy**_

James' expression when he saw Grace Cartwright so happy with his cousin made Tessa's heart sink to the floor. Christopher and James' relationship would never be repaired now. She wanted to comfort her son, despite the murderous gaze he was wearing as she tried to approach him.

_**Poison**_

Will and Ella clutched Cecily tightly as she thrashed, screaming in pain. The abundance of the fatal berries she had eaten was enough to kill a grown man, and she was a little girl. The two Herondale siblings prayed to every god they knew to save their Cecy.

_**Jelly**_

The first time Thomas remembered seeing his father cry was when at Christmas one year, Eugenia collapsed to the floor from choking on a ball shaped jelly that garnished the cake. The panic of feeling helpless to the relief of Eugenia's recovery - his father was far more expressive than Thomas had known.

_**Chocolate**_

Will couldn't see why Tessa, teary-eyed and heartbroken, had knocked the chocolate tart he was holding onto the floor. It wasn't until she stammered out the words, "Nate...a box...Aunt...death...years ago", did he understand.

_**Sugar**_

Jem was terrified when the bag of confectioner's sugar was emptied completely over Tessa when he carelessly knocked it off the cabinet's shelf. In the kitchen's dim lighting, the harmless sweetener looked like the drug from all those years ago, and he would have nothing to do with it anymore.

**A/N: Which snippet was the most twisted? Leave a review if you'd like!**


	4. The prism of pain

**This batch of snippets is character-based, but maybe the names aren't too familiar. Minor characters represent! I've never written about the following people before, so it was nice to explore their stories a bit. **

**Spoilers for all of TID. Warning: major angst. **

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns TID.**

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_**Lady Delilah's subjugate **_

The taste of blood was intoxicating. It went down his throat like fire, but when it settled in his stomach, the richest euphoria hit his senses. He savored the feeling, for it would not last very long. His desire for vampirism and his mistress grew with every drop he consumed.

_**Bridget Daly **_

She hated carrots more than any other food she cooked and avoided them whenever possible. As a child, the other children liked to pelt her with half-rotted carrot peelings, sneering that they made her look prettier. After all, her hair was the same ugly color as the vegetable. Red, she would scream back at them as she wiped the rot and tears from her face. Her hair was more red than carrot-colored, but they didn't care. She was different from them, and that was all they wanted to know about her.

_**Miranda**_

Her hair had once been beautiful blond waves that stood out in the grime of London's streets. But once she was forced into servitude for her two mistresses, her hair was as she was - lifeless.

_**Rupert Blackthorn** _

A silver bracelet studded with emeralds and pearls - it was supposed to be a gift celebrating the news that they were going to be parents for the first time. Instead, the bracelet laid unworn in Tatiana's jewelry box, the representation of how desperately Tatiana wanted a happily married life with her Rupert.

**_Adele Starkweather_**

Her grandfather had promised to buy her a gift for her birthday - a bolt of fabric the color of ocean waves. One of the servants who was very nice to her had promised to sew her a beautiful gown, one she could wear at the next party. But that would have to wait until after she received her first Marks.

**_Silas Pangborn _**

Before his death, the last soul he had talked to was his sister, Barbara. Before saying goodbye after his visit, he had given her a gift: their late mother's amethyst pendant. As Silas laid the piece of jewelry in his sister's awaiting hands, she said, with a sad look in her eyes, she had the perfect occasion in mind to wear it, though she wouldn't tell him which one exactly. He realized what she meant when he found her in the afterlife, a victim of cruel fate, and he was heartbroken.

**_Cyril Tanner_**

Seeing his brother's possessions left in the room, still waiting for their owner's return, shattered Cyril's resolve not to cry from losing his brother. He spent his first night at the London Institute muffling his sobs as he hugged Thomas' dirty leather work gloves to his chest.

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**A/N: After all this angst, I'm headed straight for the land of happy fluffiness in the next batch. Seriously. Leave a review if you'd like!**


	5. From the fountain comes mirth

**A/N: All aboard the fluffiness train! Today's theme: babies. Enjoy!**

**Minor spoilers for CP2 family tree. MAJOR FLUFF. Translations at the bottom. **

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns TID. **

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**Silk**

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon. Elizabeth had some alone time with her baby girl. Elizabeth rested comfortably in the parlor chair, her back supported by the new embroidered pillow her husband had purchased earlier that week for her birthday. Baby Tessa leaned over her mother's shoulder, making tiny grunting sounds as her fingers brushed the pillow's edge. Seeing her daughter's efforts, Elizabeth removed the pillow from her back and let Tessa sit on it.

"Is that better, darling?" She cooed, and Tessa gave a gurgling giggle in reply.

**Lamplight**

"Jian, don't touch that!" Wen Yu said sharply and she snatched her curious son's hand back before it could be burned by the flame of a candle she could have sworn was already blown out. She felt a twinge of guilt when she saw her son's eyes begin to water, his lips beginning to tremble. Wen Yu's comforting side took over as she swept her child into her arms, squeezing him tightly, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her neck. When he pulled away, Wen Yu smiled and brushed his remaining tears away as she spoke.

"Sshhh, Jian. Dui bu chi*. Bie ku.** Mama just wanted to protect you. The fire will hurt your skin if you touch it." Jian said nothing. Instead, he buried his face back into his mother's shoulder, content to be comforted. Rubbing circles on her son's back, Wen Yu knew she could be too soft with her only child, but she couldn't help it.

**Eggshell**

Will nearly had a heart attack when Tessa came into the study and proudly informed him of their daughter's first word.

"No child of mine would ever say 'duck' for their first word. Tess, you must be mistaken," Will said, horrified and pale as a ghost. Tessa burst into laughter, unable to keep her act up any further, and Will's face gradually regained color. Behind the door, James was snickering as he held Lucie in his arms. His mother was right; his father could be threatened by the mere mention of ducks.

**Buds**

Barbara sat reading the nursery while keeping an eye on her two sons as they played. She had turned her head to glance at the window for the briefest of moments when she heard a scream. Judging by the green book beside him, Gabriel must have accidentally dropped it on his foot. He was seated on the floor, crying like the book was actually the Codex that had slammed into his heart instead. Before she could reach her youngest angel's side, five-year-old Gideon was already settled behind his brother, tugging him into a hug. To Barbara's surprise, Gabriel didn't squirm or run away, as he did when she or Tatiana tried to embrace him.

"Don't cry, Gabe," Gideon said. "The book was bad to hurt you." Barbara felt her eyes fill with tears as Gideon began to rock his brother back and forth, and Gabriel's crying turned into the occasional shivering sniffle. She knelt next to her little angels and wrapped them both in her arms. Kissing both their foreheads, she couldn't have felt happier to watch them so peaceful together.

**Namesake**

Edmund peered over his pregnant wife's shoulder as she was absorbed in writing at his desk. On the paper was two columns with headings: Girl on one, Boy on the other. Ah. Linette was thinking of names for their first child, the ever responsible mother-to-be.

"May I assist you in your work, love?" Edmund murmured into his wife's ear, as he leaned in to warmly kiss her cheek. She sighed, half in peace, half in frustration.

"I've gone through my family trees, novels, the Bible, everything to find names. I like the ones I've chosen, but something still isn't right with them." Edmund smiled as he quickly went through the lists; he recognized names of angels on her list, but said nothing about it.

"What if we don't name our child after someone else? I hear that names with no anecdotes attached are in style." His wife giggled under her breath, as she pushed the scribbled-on paper away from her and set her pen down.

"You have a name in mind, don't you, Edmund?" He grinned back.

"Our daughter will be named Ella," he said.

"How do you know our baby is a girl?" Linette asked, rubbing her round belly.

"I just do," Edmund replied, kneeling next to his wife to put his cheek on her stomach. "And she will have your blue eyes, Linette."

**Third**

"Oh, you do have the most beautiful eyes!" Cecily squealed, or at least the sound she let out sounded like a squeal to everyone in the room. She was no longer a girl, but a great-aunt, holding her grand-nephew, baby Owen Herondale. No one was surprised at her girlish response, even at her age. After giving the baby a hearty kiss on the cheek, she looked straight into his eyes.

"Since you do have Herondale eyes, I must warn you. Don't be a devastatingly handsome womanizer or a Shadowhunter afraid of ducks. We already have too many of those."

Someone cleared his throat loudly, but Cecily ignored it.

Cecily glanced back at Owen, smirking. "And don't be an over-suffocating older brother should you have siblings," she said under her breath, but everyone could hear her. She faking a whisper on purpose. Baby Owen blinked his indigo eyes, and after a moment, smiled brightly.

"You see, Will? Clearly, Owen knows good advice when he hears it," Cecily said proudly. Will huffed and rolled his eyes, trying to look annoyed behind the morning newspaper, but he wasn't fooling anyone, least of all his little sister.

**Teamwork**

Jonah Carstairs ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. A break was in order; despairing over his sketches of potential necklaces and bracelet commissions for the past hour was doing nothing to spark his inspiration. His wife's birthday was months away, but he needed to send out the drawings soon, so the jewelers had enough time to craft the piece. He went to his and his wife's room to find some quiet company with his family. Wen Yu was asleep on the bed. Refusing to take his afternoon nap like a good boy, James was toying with his mother's braided hair. Jonah scooped up his son in his arms and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek before heading back to his study; his wife could use a long nap. Jonah settled back into his chair with James in his lap. Curious at the penciled pictures on his father's desk, James began to shuffle through the drawings, which caught Jonah's attention.

"Do you want to help me design your mother's gift?" Jonah asked. James said nothing, too concentrated on picking up and dropping the sketches as he pleased. The Carstairs duo were efficient working together. Jonah laid out options, and James pointed at the ones he liked. In one hour, the perfect gift was designed: Gold because Wen Yu liked warm colors. Necklace to show off her incredible collarbone. Three crystals because there were three Carstairs in the family. Purple jewels because while James liked blue, Jonah liked red, so a compromise was made. By the time they were finished and the drawing away was put away safely into a locked drawer, father and son needed a nap. A still groggy Wen Yu walked in as both of them let out a simultaneous yawn. She chuckled.

"What have you two been up to?" she asked, smiling sleepily at them.

"A business meeting of the utmost importance. Isn't that right, James?" Jonah replied, but James couldn't contribute to the conversation. He had already fallen asleep while leaning against his father's chest.

"It must have been a very productive, then. Care to tell me about it?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. The matter discussed is very confidential," Jonah said, with a grave face, but his eyes were twinkling in mirth. He was tempted to burst out laughing, but not because of his banter with Wen Yu. Rather, James was beginning to snore, albeit very lightly, and the sound was too precious and funny to ignore.

"Very well. None of my men can keep secrets from me. I'm sure to find out eventually," Wen Yu replied and smiled, enjoying the sight of her husband fighting against his urge to break character. He was very bad at acting sometimes.

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**Translations:**  
***I'm sorry.**  
****Don't cry. **

**A/N: I know I got carried away, especially with the last prompt, and that I cranked up the fluff meter to 20 out of 10 for this entire batch. I can't help it. My head canon of Jonah is almost as adorably cheeky as Jem, and when you add in baby Jem, all-knowing Wen Yu, and naps into the mix, well... it's an explosion of Carstairs fluff. **

**Leave a review if you'd like. Let me know if the fluff over or underwhelmed you. :D**


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